Wall shield

ABSTRACT

A protective shield for a wall includes a flexible, moisture-proof protective sheet. The sheet has an array of mounting holes formed in its upper edge. The protective sheet is placed against a wall and secured thereto by tapered anchor pins driven through the mounting holes and into weep holes formed in the wall.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/432,745, filed Dec. 13, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates generally to siding for buildings and moreparticularly to a protective shield for decorative brickwork.

[0003] Many buildings, especially residential homes, incorporateexterior masonry work, such as brick veneer over stud wall construction.Usually the siding is completed while the building is still unfinished,and therefore workers and vehicles will be moving around the vicinity ofthe building, usually in an area that is muddy or dusty. The siding caneasily be subject to unsightly mud staining during subsequentconstruction. Therefore, an attempt is typically made to protect thesiding, for example by placing straw or a similar material against thesiding near ground level. However, straw can be blown away, kicked away,or smashed into the ground by foot or vehicle traffic, after which itbecomes useless as a protective material. The siding must then becleaned and the straw replaced. This cycle may have to be repeatedseveral more times before construction is complete. This increases thelabor and materials cost of the project.

[0004] Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a wallshield which remains securely in place during construction.

[0005] It is another object of the invention to provide a wall shieldwhich is simple to install and reusable.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] These and other objects of the present invention are achieved inthe preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing a wall shield,which comprises a plurality of tapered anchor pins for being insertedinto a wall having an array of spaced-apart weep openings formedtherein. A protective sheet of flexible, water-resistant material ispositioned against the wall to prevent debris from contacting the wall.The protective material includes a plurality of spaced-apart mountingholes formed in its upper edge which receive the anchor pins. Themounting holes correspond to the weep openings.

[0007] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, theprotective sheet includes at least one weight attached to a lower edgethereof.

[0008] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, theanchor pins comprise plastic.

[0009] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, eachof the anchor pins comprises an enlarged head and a tip disposed atopposite ends of a tapered shaft. The diameter of the shaft increasesfrom the tip to the head.

[0010] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, theprotective sheet comprises plastic.

[0011] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, theprotective sheet includes a plurality of horizontally elongated nailslots formed in its upper edge.

[0012] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, amethod of protecting a wall comprises forming an array of spaced-apartweep openings in the wall, and positioning a protective sheet offlexible, water-resistant material against the wall to prevent debrisfrom contacting said wall. The protective material includes an array ofmounting holes corresponding to the weep openings. the sheet is securedto the wall by driving a plurality of tapered anchor pins through themounting holes and into the weep openings.

[0013] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, thestep of forming the weep openings comprises drilling holes through thewall.

[0014] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, thewall comprises a plurality of bricks bonded together by mortar, and thestep of forming said weep openings comprises setting the bricks into themortar so as to leave spaces between selected laterally-adjacent ones ofthe bricks. The spaces define the weep openings.

[0015] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, thewall comprises a plurality of bricks bonded together by mortar, and thestep of forming said weep openings comprise placing a plurality ofspacers defining the shape of the weep openings into the wet mortar assaid wall is laid up; and allowing the mortar to cure. After the mortarhas cured, the weep openings, the spacers are removed, leaving the weepopenings in the wall.

[0016] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, thespacers comprise a brittle material, and the step of removing thespacers comprises breaking or knocking the spacers out of the weepopenings.

[0017] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, theanchor pins are used for the spacers, and the step of removing thespacers comprises pulling the anchor pins out of the weep openings, suchthat said anchor pins may be subsequently used to secure the protectivesheet to the wall.

[0018] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, aprotective shield for a wall, includes a protective sheet of flexible,water-resistant material for being positioned against the wall. Theprotective sheet includes a plurality of spaced-apart, nail slots formedin an upper edge thereof for receiving a plurality of fastenerstherethrough. The nail slots have a vertical dimension selected toreceive a fastener of a preselected diameter therethrough with minimalvertical play and an elongated horizontal dimension substantiallygreater than the vertical dimension.

[0019] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, theprotective shield includes a plurality of spaced-apart mounting holesformed in an upper edge thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The subject matter that is regarded as the invention may be bestunderstood by reference to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing figures in which:

[0021]FIG. 1 is a front view of a brick veneer wall prepared for usewith the present invention;

[0022]FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the brick veneer wall ofFIG. 1;

[0023]FIG. 3 is a front view of a brick veneer wall showing the wallshield of the present invention attached thereto;

[0024]FIG. 4 is a side view of the brick veneer wall of FIG. 4;

[0025]FIG. 5 is a front view of an exemplary protective sheet for usewith the present invention;

[0026]FIG. 6 is a side view of an anchor pin constructed in accordancewith the present invention; and

[0027]FIG. 7 is a front view of an alternative protective sheet for usewith the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Referring to the drawings wherein identical reference numeralsdenote the same elements throughout the various views, FIGS. 1 and 2show a wall 10 incorporating a brick veneer 12 of a known type. It isnoted that the term “brick” as used herein is intended to refer tobricks as well as other kinds of masonry elements, such as stones orconcrete blocks. Furthermore, the present invention is equallyapplicable to other kinds of wall construction. The wall 10 extendsbetween the ground 14 and a roof structure 16. The wall 10 isstructurally supported by framing 18 of a known type, such as wood ormetal studs. The brick veneer 12 comprises courses of bricks 20 bondedtogether with mortar 22. The brick veneer 12 is porous and tends toabsorb moisture. If this moisture were held against the framing 18 itcould cause it to decay or corrode. Therefore, an air space 24 isprovided between the framing 18 and the brick veneer 12. This air space24 is ventilated to the exterior to provide a path for moisture toescape and also to equalize the pressure on the front and back sides ofthe brick veneer 12, to prevent rain from being driven into the airspace 24. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, ventilation is provided at least inpart by weep openings 26. The weep openings 26 are spaced apart atregular intervals. The weep openings 26 may take the form of circularholes 26 a formed through the mortar 22. The weep openings could also bespaces 26 b left between adjacent bricks in a course.

[0029]FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a wall 10 with an exemplary wall shield28 constructed in accordance with the present invention in place. Thewall shield 28 comprises a protective sheet 30 which is fastened againstthe wall 10 by anchor pins 32 inserted into the weep openings 26. Withthe wall shield 28 in place, mud spatters and debris are prevented fromcontacting the brick veneer 12. The upper edge 34 of the protectivesheet 30 is disposed at a height “H” from the ground 14 adequate toprevent splashes from getting to the brick veneer 12, without makinginstallation inconvenient or using excessive materials. In theillustrated example, the height “H” is about 1.2 m (48 in.) Theprotective sheet 30 may comprise individual panels as shown in FIG. 1.Several of these panels would be installed side by side or with theirvertical edges overlapping to provide continuous coverage of the brickveneer 12. If desired, the protective sheet 30 could also be made in acontinuous width sufficient to cover the entire perimeter of building.

[0030] The protective sheet 30 is illustrated in more detail in FIG. 5.The protective sheet 30 may be formed of any convenient material whichis flexible and water resistant, for example natural or synthetic coatedfabrics, natural or synthetic rubber, or plastic. A plastic tarp of aknown type may be used. The protective sheet 30 has a plurality ofmounting holes 36 formed in its upper edge 34. The mounting holes 36 arespaced apart at a convenient lateral spacing “S” selected to provideadequate support without using an excessive number of anchor pins. Thesame lateral spacing S may be used for the weep openings 26. In theillustrated example the lateral spacing S is about 61 cm (24 in.) Themounting holes 36 may be reinforced with grommets (not shown) of a knowntype. The protective sheet 30 may be various colors depending upon theapplication. For example, it could be a bright color such as yellow ororange to serve as a safety warning of its presence or to attractattention for advertising purposes. Alternatively, it could also be madein a color closely matching the building it is attached to, so as to beunobtrusive during the construction process. If desired, indicia 38(such as a manufacturer's or contractor's name) may be included on theexposed surface of the protective sheet 30.

[0031] Optionally, the protective sheet 30 may include one or moreweights 40 attached to its lower edge 42 to help keep it in place. FIG.5 shows an example in which elongated weights 40 are sewn into pockets44 in the lower edge 42 of the protective sheet 30. The pockets 44 areformed by folding the lower edge 42 of the protective sheet 30 andbonding or stitching it back onto itself in a known manner. However,weights may not hold the protective sheet 30 in place in heavy winds.Therefore, it is preferable to secure the lower edge 42 of theprotective sheet by burying it underground, for example about 10-15 cm(4-6 in.) deep.

[0032]FIG. 6 shows a side view of an exemplary anchor pin 32. The anchorpins 32 can be made of any material of sufficient structural strength tobe driven into the weep openings 26 and later removed. Examples includewood, metal, and plastic. Plastic is a preferred material as it isnaturally resistant to decay, strong and flexible, and inexpensive. Theanchor pins 32 can be molded in a bright color to help prevent losingthem at a job site. The illustrated example has an enlarged head 46 anda tip 48 disposed at opposite ends of a tapered shaft 50. The length “L”is about 15.2 cm (6 in.), and the diameter “D” at the tip 48 is about12.7 mm (0.5 in). These dimensions are not critical and may be varied tosuit a particular application. The shaft 50 is tapered, increasing indiameter from the tip 48 to the head 46. This taper is selected relativeto the size of the weep opening 26 to allow the anchor pin 32 to wedgetightly in the weep opening 26 as it is driven in. The head 46 providesa surface to receive hammer blows, and also may be engaged by a tool tohelp remove the anchor pin 32 when the construction job is complete.

[0033] The wall shield 28 is installed as follows: First, the brickveneer 12 is constructed in a known manner and the weep openings 26 areformed. The weep openings 26 could be formed in a variety of methods.For example, the weep openings 26 may be formed by drilling holesthrough the mortar 22, after the mortar 22 has cured. The weep openings26 could also be formed by leaving mortar-free spaces between the endsof adjacent bricks in a course, in which case the weep opening wouldlook like a vertical slit. Finally, the weep openings 26 could be formedby placing spacers (not shown) into the mortar 22 at the desired openinglocations while then bricks are being laid. Then, after the mortar hascured, the spacers may be removed. The spacers may be made of a brittlematerial which can be easily knocked out or broken out, such aspolystyrene plastic. Alternatively, the anchor pins 32 themselves may beused as spacers if the anchor pins 32 are made from a material that themortar 22 will not bond to, such as polyethylene or other smoothnon-porous plastic.

[0034] After the weep openings 26 are formed, the protective sheet 30 ispositioned against the brick veneer 12 with its upper edge 34 extendinglaterally. The anchor pins 32 are then driven through the mounting holes36 in the protective sheet 30 and into the weep openings 26 to hold theprotective sheet 30 in place. The bottom of the protective sheet 30 maybe left free, or buried. It may be weighted down using internal weights(described above), or separate weights (not shown) may be placed on topof its lower edge 42. The protective sheet 30 could also be secured inplace with stakes (not shown) driven through it into the ground. Afterall construction is completed on the building, the anchor pins 32 andprotective sheet 30 may simply be removed leaving the weep openings 26in the brick veneer 12. As discussed above, the weep openings arerequired for practical reasons (and are often mandated by buildingcodes). Therefore, there is no need to fill in the weep openings 26after the construction is complete. The anchor pins 32 and protectivesheet 30 are then available for use on another building.

[0035]FIG. 7 illustrates a variation of the protective sheet 30. Inaddition to, or in lieu of the mounting holes 36, the protective sheet30 may have or more nail slots 52 formed therethrough near its upperedge 34. The nail slots 52 may be reinforced, for example with grommetsor stitching. Preferably the nail slots 52 have a vertical dimensionjust large enough to accept a nail of a select diameter withoutexcessive up-and down play of the protective sheet 30, and arehorizontally elongated so that the exact location of the nails can bevaried as needed. The exact spacing, dimensions, and location of thenail slots 52 can be varied as desired. The nail slots 52 allow theprotective sheet 30 to be attached to any type of siding, such as wood,by driving nails or other fasteners through the nail slots 52. Exceptfor the fasteners used, the installation and use of the protective sheet30 having the nail slots 52 is similar to that described above.

[0036] The foregoing has described a protective shield for a wall. Whilespecific embodiments of the present invention have been described, itwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modificationsthereto can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Accordingly, the foregoing description of the preferredembodiment of the invention and the best mode for practicing theinvention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and not forthe purpose of limitation—the invention being defined by the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wall shield, comprising: a plurality of taperedanchor pins for being inserted into a wall having an array ofspaced-apart weep openings formed therein; and a protective sheet offlexible, water-resistant material for being positioned against saidwall, said protective sheet including a plurality of spaced-apartmounting holes formed in an upper edge thereof for receiving said anchorpins, said mounting holes corresponding to said weep openings.
 2. Thewall shield of claim 1, wherein said protective sheet includes at leastone weight attached to a lower edge thereof.
 3. The wall shield of claim1, wherein said anchor pins comprise plastic.
 4. The wall shield ofclaim 1, wherein said each of said anchor pins comprises an enlargedhead and a tip disposed at opposite ends of a tapered shaft, thediameter of said shaft increasing from said tip to said head.
 5. Thewall shield of claim 1, wherein said protective sheet comprises plastic.6. The wall shield of claim 1, further comprising a plurality ofhorizontally elongated nail slots formed in said upper edge.
 7. A methodof protecting a wall, comprising: forming an array of spaced-apart weepopenings in said wall; positioning a protective sheet of flexible,water-resistant material against said wall, said protective materialincluding an array of mounting holes corresponding to said weep openingsin said wall; and driving a plurality of tapered anchor pins throughsaid mounting holes and into said weep openings, whereby said sheet issecured to said wall.
 8. The method of protecting a wall of claim 7,wherein the step of forming said weep openings comprises drilling holesthrough said wall.
 9. The method of protecting a wall of claim 7,wherein said wall comprises a plurality of bricks bonded together bymortar, and said step of forming said weep openings comprises settingsaid bricks into said mortar so as to leave spaces between selectedlaterally-adjacent ones of said bricks, said spaces defining said weepopenings.
 10. The method of protecting a wall of claim 7, wherein saidwall comprises a plurality of bricks bonded together by mortar, and saidstep of forming said weep openings comprises: placing a plurality ofspacers defining the shape of said weep openings into the wet mortar assaid wall is laid up; allowing said mortar to cure; and removing saidspacers after said mortar has cured, whereby said weep openings are leftin said wall.
 11. The method of protecting a wall of claim 10 whereinsaid spacers comprise a brittle material, and said step of removing saidspacers comprises breaking or knocking said spacers out of said weepopenings.
 12. The method of protecting a wall of claim 10 wherein saidanchor pins are used for said spacers, and said step of removing saidspacers comprises pulling said anchor pins out of said weep openings,such that said anchor pins may be subsequently used to secure saidprotective sheet to said wall.
 13. A protective shield for a brick wall,comprising: a plurality of tapered anchor pins for being inserted into awall comprising a plurality of courses of bricks bonded together withmortar, said wall having an array of spaced-apart weep openings formedtherethrough; and a protective sheet of flexible, water-resistantmaterial for being positioned against said wall, said protective sheetincluding a plurality of spaced-apart mounting holes formed in an upperedge thereof for receiving said anchor pins, said mounting holescorresponding to said weep openings.
 14. The wall shield of claim 13,wherein said protective sheet includes at least one weight attached to alower edge thereof.
 15. The wall shield of claim 13, wherein said anchorpins comprise plastic.
 16. The wall shield of claim 13, wherein saideach of said anchor pins comprises an enlarged head and a tip disposedat opposite ends of a tapered shaft, the diameter of said shaftincreasing from said tip to said head.
 17. The wall shield of claim 13,further comprising a plurality of horizontally elongated nail slotsformed in said upper edge.
 18. A protective shield for a wall,comprising a protective sheet of flexible, water-resistant material forbeing positioned against said wall, said protective sheet including aplurality of spaced-apart, nail slots formed in an upper edge thereoffor receiving a plurality of fasteners therethrough, said nail slotshaving a vertical dimension selected to receive a nail of a preselecteddiameter therethrough with minimal vertical play and an elongatedhorizontal dimension substantially greater than said vertical dimension.19. The protective shield of claim 18 further comprising a plurality ofspaced-apart mounting holes formed in an upper edge thereof